More than 350 species of birds are found here 27 of these species are North American migrants such as the wood thrush, prothonotary warbler, and the Magnolia warbler. Try the individual island pages for more information on birds.
Bocas del Toro lowlands are also an important flyway for Swainson's hawks, Mississippi kites, scarlet tanagers, and purple martins.
The only Panamanian colony of the rare red-billed tropicbird is found on Swans Cay.
"A Guide to the Birds of Panama" by Robert S. Ridgely and John A. Gwynne, first published in 1976, is still one of the best guides for the region. A copy of this book is really all you need to begin identifying birds in Bocas. In addition three regional checklists have been prepared by the Panama Audubon Society. Each volume, covering Central, Eastern or Western Panama, lists only the birds found in that region, with a separate column indicating the abundance of each species in different sub-regions. For further information, write to the Panama Audubon Society, Box 2026, Balboa, Republic of Panama, or e-mail to info@panamaaudubon.org.